Clean up your environment
category 5 outlines a plan to free your home of allergens and pollutants. category 11 gives comprehensive information on preventing mold growth and gives tips where to look for mold so that you may be able to remove it from your home, office, and even your car. By combining these two programs, you may find that
you instantly begin to breathe easier. You will find that once your environment is more inviting, your symptoms will begin to disappear. That’s when you can finally understand the meaning behind the adage, “There’s no place like home.”
However, a full and stimulating existence cannot be achieved if you lock yourself at home, afraid of dealing with the toxicity found in the rest of the world. When you go out, you may be instantly bombarded with the same allergens, mold, pollutants, and irritants that you have worked so hard to clean up in your homes. I hope that, if you are following the rest of the steps in your treatment plan, you’ll find that these irritants should affect you less severely.
For some of us, we may have to reconsider many aspects of your lives to stay healthy. I have had patients that are constantly exposed to irritating chemicals and dusts as part of their jobs. For example, I have patients who are in the construction field, some who work in chemical companies and factories, and others who work in the sanitation field. I have seen teachers, nurses, and even other doctors who are constantly exposed to infection from their jobs. These hardworking people feel as if they had no choice but to live with their symptoms, unless they want to leave their profession. Even I know that my CAID gets better on weekends and holidays when I am not around my patients, but when I go back to work I am around people who are coughing and sneezing near me all day long, and I know that someone will pass along an infection that spurs my sinuses. Yet I love what 1 do, so I treat myself accordingly to minimize discomfort and continue helping others find permanent solutions for their CAID problems.
There is nothing wrong with the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. Whether or not you are in a work environment that is making you sick, make sure to carry your emergency medications with you at all times, in case you should have a serious environmental response. If you suffer from allergies, it’s a good idea to keep your favorite antihistamines handy, in your purse, pocket, or car. If you suffer from asthma, you should be carrying your beta-antagonist medications like albuterol wherever you go. If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease/laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (GERD/LPRD), you should not leave the house without an antacid that you can take when your GERD acts up. If prescribed, you might want to carry an extra proton inhibitor or an H2- blocker tablet to take before any large meal. When you return home, remember to wash yourself and your clothes well so that you do not
carry these agents back into your otherwise clean environment. By following these precautions, you’ll find that you are both emotionally and physically more comfortable visiting new places, meeting new people, and trying new situations. And you’ll find, as I have, that these are the small pieces that make life more interesting and enjoyable.
